This guy's Samsung phone exploded and the company accidentally texted him that they 'can try and slow him down if we think it will matter'

Samsung Galaxy Note 7 AP Kentucky resident Michael Klering tells local CBS affiliate WKYT that his Galaxy Note 7 smartphone spontaneously combusted last Tuesday, even though it was a replacement phone that Samsung issued in the wake of its infamous global recall.

"The phone is supposed to be the replacement, so you would have thought it would be safe. It wasn't plugged in. It wasn't anything, it was just sitting there," Klering told WKYT.

Klering was woken up in the middle of the night by his Note 7 spontaneously catching fire. He inhaled enough smoke to be taken to the hospital and diagnosed with acute bronchitis. He also says he was "vomiting black" after breathing the smoke.

According to WKYT's report, the incident occured before the evacuation of the Southwest Airlines flight, but Samsung never acknowledged Klering's story in public or said anything about possible safety risks.

Klering also says that he thought that Samsung was willing to work with him to get the matter resolved, until a Samsung representative accidentally texted him:

"Just now got this. I can try and slow him down if we think it will matter, or we just let him do what he keeps threatening to do and see if he does it."

Later on Sunday evening, The Verge reported on a pair of combusting replacement Note 7 smartphones, bringing the grand total that have been reported up to five, including Klering's.

Samsung has issued the following statement:

"We are working diligently with authorities and third party experts and will share findings when we have completed the investigation. Even though there are a limited number of reports, we want to reassure customers that we are taking every report seriously. If we determine a product safety issue exists, Samsung will take immediate steps approved by the CPSC to resolve the situation."